The purpose to start a separate discussion on Imam Begum is to post all relevant stuff related to her in this discussion. I would like to hear anecdotes, historical facts, narratives, traditional accounts, oral histories, her works etc. Any information about her can be posted here. Please feel free to post any thing you have to share or discuss. You may include secondary (scholarly) works on her in the discussion as well. No limits.
Thank You!
IMAM BEGUM
There is an anecdote about Sayyedaa Imam Begum in Mumtaz Tajdin's 225 anecdotes at:
http://ismaili.net/source/books/225anecdotes.pdf
(7) In about 1860, Sayeda Imam Begum (d. 1866), the last composer of the ginans daily arranged the ladies Sat Sung (assembly of truth) in Kandi Mola (now Karimabad) Jamatkhana, Bombay. She imparted them meaning of the ginans. The Ismaili ladies took deep interest in it. The gathering’s duration was for one to two hours, then it increased to four to five hours. The school going children faced hardships when they found their homes locked at lunch hour as their mothers were engaged in the Sat Sung.
So was the issue of men, who received their lunch tiffins late in the office. They warned their wives to wind up their religious gathering before 12.00 pm, but of no avail. Consequently, this religious matter created a social problem. It was referred to Kamadia Ladak Haji (1827-1907), who forwarded it to the Imam at Wadi, Bombay. On those days, the Imam visited Kandi Mola Jamatkhana and saw the ladies Sat Sung at 2.oo pm. He
ordered Sayeda Imam Begum to wind up her session and go to Wadi at once. Some said that she reached Wadi on next day, while other claimed that she reached Wadi on the same day at late hour after the Imam’s arrival in Wadi.
When the Imam reached Wadi, he noticed that she did not comply with his instructions. The Imam was displeased and ordered Kamadia Ladak Haji to send urgent telegrams in all Jamatkhanas to stop recitation of her ginans. She reached Wadi late, where she was informed all about it. She became worried and sat beneath a tree facing the palace, Aga Hall and longed and implored too much for having didar. It is said that she composed
following ginan on that occasion:-
Eji darshan diyo mora nath, da’si chhu’n teri.
Eji da’si teri Mawla ter’e dhar ubhi, araj kar’e chhe’e jodi hath. (ginan)
“O’my Master! Grant didar for I am your maid-servant. O’Mawla, your maid-servant stood at your door, longing with folded hands.”
She ate nothing and passed sleepless nights. On third day, the ocean of mercy repleted and Imam Hasan Ali Shah appeared before her and graced didar. He put blessed hand on her head and forgave. The Imam said, “You didn’t eat and sleep, so was my condition.”
The Imam also ordered to lift embargo on her ginans. The Imam told her that she should have promptly followed his orders to come here timely because she was a learned lady.
http://ismaili.net/source/books/225anecdotes.pdf
(7) In about 1860, Sayeda Imam Begum (d. 1866), the last composer of the ginans daily arranged the ladies Sat Sung (assembly of truth) in Kandi Mola (now Karimabad) Jamatkhana, Bombay. She imparted them meaning of the ginans. The Ismaili ladies took deep interest in it. The gathering’s duration was for one to two hours, then it increased to four to five hours. The school going children faced hardships when they found their homes locked at lunch hour as their mothers were engaged in the Sat Sung.
So was the issue of men, who received their lunch tiffins late in the office. They warned their wives to wind up their religious gathering before 12.00 pm, but of no avail. Consequently, this religious matter created a social problem. It was referred to Kamadia Ladak Haji (1827-1907), who forwarded it to the Imam at Wadi, Bombay. On those days, the Imam visited Kandi Mola Jamatkhana and saw the ladies Sat Sung at 2.oo pm. He
ordered Sayeda Imam Begum to wind up her session and go to Wadi at once. Some said that she reached Wadi on next day, while other claimed that she reached Wadi on the same day at late hour after the Imam’s arrival in Wadi.
When the Imam reached Wadi, he noticed that she did not comply with his instructions. The Imam was displeased and ordered Kamadia Ladak Haji to send urgent telegrams in all Jamatkhanas to stop recitation of her ginans. She reached Wadi late, where she was informed all about it. She became worried and sat beneath a tree facing the palace, Aga Hall and longed and implored too much for having didar. It is said that she composed
following ginan on that occasion:-
Eji darshan diyo mora nath, da’si chhu’n teri.
Eji da’si teri Mawla ter’e dhar ubhi, araj kar’e chhe’e jodi hath. (ginan)
“O’my Master! Grant didar for I am your maid-servant. O’Mawla, your maid-servant stood at your door, longing with folded hands.”
She ate nothing and passed sleepless nights. On third day, the ocean of mercy repleted and Imam Hasan Ali Shah appeared before her and graced didar. He put blessed hand on her head and forgave. The Imam said, “You didn’t eat and sleep, so was my condition.”
The Imam also ordered to lift embargo on her ginans. The Imam told her that she should have promptly followed his orders to come here timely because she was a learned lady.
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Damanialijan
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2020 5:39 am
There has been an article entitled "Sufi Content of the Ginans" by Dilshad Karim. The article, according to Zawahir Moir, summarizes the teachings of Imam Begum and also give a suggestion that it might be possible that a male Sayyid might have been writing under the linguistic attire of Imam Begum.
Has anyone come across this article? Or at least know or have contact of Dilshad Karim?
Has anyone come across this article? Or at least know or have contact of Dilshad Karim?